Recoil and run-out apparatus for ordnance



July 2, 1929. A. T. DAWSON ET AL RECOIL AND RUN-OUT APPARATUS FORORDNANGE Original Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet lll Il July 2,192,9. A. T. DAWSON ET AL 1.719.597

RECOIL AND RUN-OUT APPARATUS FOR ORDNANCE Original Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented July 2, 1929.

UNETED ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON AND JAMES FLEMING WHITE, 0F WESTMINSTER,LONDON, ENGLAND, AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, DECEASED, LATE 0FWESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND, BY GEORGE DARNELL, OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON,ENGLAND, AND ERNEST EDVARD LARKINS, 0F SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND, LEGAL.REPRESENTA- TIVES, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER,ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

RECOIL AND RUN-OUT APPARATUS FOR ORDNANCE.

Original application filed August 9, 1927, Serial No. 211,736, and inGreat Britain January 13, 1927.

Divided and this application filed September 29, 1928.

This invention relates to ordnance recoil and run-out apparatusemploying a pneumatic recuperator the interior of which does .notcommunicate with the interior of the recoil or brake cylinder, that isto say there is no transfer of liquid from the recoil or brake cylinderto the recuperator cylinder during the recoil of the gun.

According to the invention the recuperator cylinder and the recoil orbrake cylinder are arranged in line one behind the other and the recoilcylinder or its piston rod,- Whichever moves relatively to therecuperator cylinder, constitutes or is provided with a ram to eiiectthe compression of the air within the recuperator during the vrecoilmovement of the gun and to effect the runout movement of the gun underthe influence of the compressed air after the recoil movement has beencompleted. The said recuperator cylinder is preferably arranged behindthe recoil cylinder and attached to the gun cradle so that it remainsstationary during the recoil and run-out movements of the gun.

The air compressing ram VWhich is arranged in front of and in line withthe recuperator cylinder may, in one form, be attached to a crossheadwhich ,is connected by longitudinalrods or links to lugs on the breechring or' the gun, suitable guides being provided on the cradle uponwhich this crosshead slides during the recoil and run-out movements oi'the gun. Carried within this ram there may be a sleeve which constitutesthe recoil cylinder proper and within which the recoil piston issituated, the rod of this piston projecting through the front end of thesaid recoil cylinder and being attached to a bracket on the cradle. Therear end of the air compressing ram enters the front end of thestationary recuperator cylinder through a suitable gland and theinterior of the said ram and of the recoil cylinder is completely shutoii" from the interior of the recuperator cylinder by means of a wall inthe said ram. rlhis wall may have a rearward prolongation forming acylinder for the reception oi' a run-out retarding ram proj ect-ingrearwardly from the recoil piston.

Serial No. 309 ,330.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, the same will now be described more 'fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of a constructional form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1 and viewed from the right.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1 and viewed from the right.

Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 1.

A is part of the gun, B is part of the cradle, C is the recuperatorcylinder, D is the recoil or brake cylinder, D1 is the recoil or brakepiston, D2 is the rod of this piston, D3 is the air compressing ramwhich, during the recoil of the gun, enters the recuperator cylinder tocompress the air therein, E is a replenishing tank for supplying therecoil cylinder D with liquid and F is the run-out retarding ram.

The air compressing ram D3 is arranged in front of and in line With therecuperator cylinder C and at its front passes through a crosshead DL toWhich it is attached by means of a nut di, the said ram having ashoulder Z3 bearing against the rear part of 'the crosshead. Thiscrosshead is connected by two longitudinal rods D5, D5 to lugs A1, A1 onthe breech ring of the gun and is guided during the recoil and run-outmovements of the gun by means of guides B1, B1 on the cradle B, uponwhich guides the crosshead slides. The recoil cylinder D is constitutedby a sleeve arranged within and carried by the ram D3 with an annularspace between them, this annular space communicating at its front endwith the replenishing tank E (formed as part of the crosshead) andcommunicating at its rear end With the interior of the rear part of therecoil cylinder D by means of holes d, l therein. The rod D2 of therecoil piston D1 projects through a gland Z2 at the front end of thecylinder D and is attached to a bracket B2 on the gun cradle. Thecylindery D has longitudinal grooves dx, ZX ot' varyports for thecontrolled flow of liquid from .effective area of the passage.

one side of the piston D1 to the other as is, per se, Well understood.

The recuperator vcylinder C passes through a bracket B3 on the cradle(the aforesaid rods D5, D5 passing through the side portions of thisbracket) and is attached by means of a nut 3, the front end of the saidcylinder havingal shoulder C1 bearing against the front surface of thesaid bracket. The front end of the recuperator cylinder C has a gland C2through which the air* compressing ram Dg enters the said cylinder andthe interior of this cylinder is completely shut off' from the interiorof the said ram and of the recoil cylinder D by means of a Wall D6 Whichis made integral With the ram D3 and has a rearward prolongation d6(closed at its rear end by a'screwed plug dm) forming a cylinder for thereception of the aforesaid runout retarding ram F Which projects rear-Wardly from the piston D1v as is Well understood. The run-out controleected by this retarding ram may be. varied in accordance With the angleof Aelevation at Which the gun is firing, by means of a tapered plugvalve F1 disposed in a passage F2 leading from the rear end of therecoil cylinder to the retarding ram cylinder (ZG. This plug valve isformed on the rear end of a rod F3 which passes centrally through therecoil piston rod D2 and has at its front part a screw-threadedportionf3 engaging With screw threads in the piston =rod so that by angularlyadjusting the rod F3 the plug valve F1 can be moved into orv out of thepassage Fl as lrequired in order, to vary the The angular adjustment ofthe rod F3 is preferably effected automatically during the elevation ofthe gun by suitable means such as those Well known for angularlyadjusting a partappertaining to the valve port of the recoil piston.

What We claim and desire lto secure by v'Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is l. Inordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combinationWith -the recoil or brake cylinderand the recoil or brake piston formingthe elements of the recoilmapparatus, one of these elements beingconnected to the gun andthe other to the gun cradle, `of a pneumaticrecuperator cylinder Whichis arranged behind and in line with the recoilor brake cylinder and the interior of which .does not communicate Withthe interior of ythe latter cylinder, means for connecting saidrecuperator cylinder to the gun cradle, a ramon the recoil apparatuselement that moves relatively to said recuperator cylinder, said rameffecting the compression of the air Within said recuperator cylinderduring the recoil'movement of the gun and eifecting the run-out movementof the gun under the influence of the compressed air after the recoilmovement has been completed, a crosshead, means for connecting said ramto said crosshead,

Vmeans for connecting said crosshead to the breech ring of the gun andmeans for guiding said crosshead on the gun cradle during the recoil andrun-out movements of the gun.

2. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, thev combination with therecoil or brake cylinder and the recoil or brake piston forming theelements of the recoil apparatus, one of these elements being connectedto the gun and the other to the gun cradle, of a pneumatic recuperatorcylinder which is arranged behind and in line With the recoil or brakecylinder and the interior of which does not communicate With theinterior of the latter cylinder, means for *connecting said recuperatorcylinder to the gun cradle, a ram onthe recoil apparatus element thatmoves relatively to said recuperator cylinder,

said ram effecting the compression of the air Within said recuperatorcylinder during the recoil movement' of the gun and effecting therun-out movement of the gun under the influence of the compressed airafter the recoil movement has been completed, a crosshead, means forconnecting said ram to said crosshead,y rods for connecting saidcrosshead to the breech ring of the gun, and means for guiding saidcrosshead on the gun cradle during the recoil and run-out movements ofthe gun.

3. In ordnance recoilv and run-out apparatus, the combination With therecoil or brake cylinder and the recoil or brake piston forming theelements of therecoil apparatus, one of these elements being connectedto the gun and the other to the giui cradle, of a pneumatic recuperatorcylinder Which is arranged behind and in line with the recoil or brakecylinder and the interior of which does not communicate With theinterior ofthe latter cylinder, means for connecting said recuperatorcylinderto the gun cradle, a ram in the form of a sleeve surrounding'the recoil or brake cylinder With an annular space between them, meansfor connecting said ram and recoil or brake cylinder together, saidram'effecting the compression of theair Within said recuperator cylinderduring the recoil movement of the gun and effecting the'run-out'movement of the gun under the influence of the compressed airyafter the recoil movement has been completed, a bracket on the guncradle,

y a rod on the recoil or brake piston passing through the front end ofthe recoil or brake cylinder, means for attaching the Vfront end of saidpiston rod to said bracket, a crosshead, means for connecting said ramto said crosshead, means for' connecting said crosshead to the breechring of the gun, and

llO

means for guiding said cross head on the gun cradle during the recoiland run-out movements of the gun.

4. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim 3, or' a gland at the front end of therecuperator cylinder through which the air compressing ram passes and awall in said air compressing ram for completely shutting oil' theinterior of said air compressing ram and the interior of the recoil orbrake cylinder from the interior of said recuperator cylinder.

5. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim 3, of a rearward extension on the aircompressing ram forming a cylinder, a run-out retarding ram projectingrearwardly from the recoil or brake piston and entering thelast-mentioned cylinder during` the final portion of the run-outmovement of the gun, a gland at the front end of the recuperatorcylinder through which the air compressingl ram passes and a wall insaid air compressing ram for completely .shutting olf the interior ofsaid air conipressing ram and the interior of the recoil or brakecylinder from the interior ot said recuperator cylinder.

6. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with therecoil or brake cylinder, means for connecting said cylinder to the guncradle, a recoil or brake piston working in said cylinder, a pneumaticrecnperator cylinder' which is arranged loehind and in line with saidrecoil or brake cylinder and the interior of which does not communicatewith the interior of the latter cylinder, means for connecting saidrecuperator cylinder to the gun cradle, a rain in the form of a sleevesurrounding the recoil o1 brake cylinder with an annular space be tweenthem, said ram etlecting the compression of the air within saidrecuperator cylinder during the recoil movement of the gun and effectingthe run-out movement of the gun under the influence of the compressedair after the recoil movement has been completed, means for connectingsaid ram to the gun so as to move therewith, a wall in said ram andmeans for attaching the rod of the recoil 01 brake piston rod to saidwall.

7. In ordnance recoil and run-out apparatus, the combination with theelements claimed in claim G, oi' a run-out retarding ram and means forattaching the latter ram to the gun cradle, said latter ram beingdisposed in a bore formed in the recoil or brake piston rod.

JAMES FLEMING IVHITE.

